To achieve manufacturing excellence, it helps to understand the gaps between your current practices and performance and world-class practices and benchmarks. The Best Practices Scorecard helps you to identify specific improvement opportunities by measuring your organization's effectiveness along 20 operational parameters. Our studies in manufacturing plants world-wide have shown that these factors have a substantial impact on overall plant productivity & profitability.

After completing the self-assessment, you can print out a copy for yourself and/or submit your completed Scorecard to us. We will be happy to review it and contact you with suggestions and recommendations. (Please note that this service is currently being provided only to leaders in industry. We ask that you use a valid business email address.) To generate discussion on Best practices within your organization, you may wish to have other plant leaders also complete the Scorecard.

Scoring: For each statement, score your organization on a scale of 0 (needs major work) to 5 (working very well.) The maximum score is 100.

We value your privacy! All information supplied will be treated confidentially and specific company names are not reported.

Best Practices Scorecard

1. Lead Time Reduction. There is a plant-wide initiative to continually reduce lead times. Non-value-adding steps in the mfg. process are gradually eliminated and dock-to-dock velocity is increasing.	0 1 2 3 4 5
2. Streamlined Flow. Where appropriate, a demand-based flow or "pull" production strategy is adopted, using kanbans and demand flow techniques, to produce to order rather than to stock.	0 1 2 3 4 5
3. Quick Changeover methods are employed to increase equipment availability and respond quickly and economically to changing schedules and customer needs.	0 1 2 3 4 5
4. Cellular Mfg. (Focus Factories). The facility is structured into product- or customer-focused work groups housing all operations to manufacture a family of products. Office operations are similarly structured to increase accountability, response time and quality while reducing inventories and backlogs.	0 1 2 3 4 5
5. Empowered Teams. Employees are multi-skilled members of motivated, capable work groups with clear roles, responsibilities and performance standards.	0 1 2 3 4 5
6. Cross-Functional Teamwork. There is a high level of teamwork and coordination between organizational units and strong internal customer-supplier relationships.	0 1 2 3 4 5
7. Associate Engagement. Shop floor associates routinely solve problems, suggest and implement improvements and are committed to world-class performance.	0 1 2 3 4 5
8. Process Reliability. A formalized system is in place to maximize equipment uptime and reduce variation in product quality. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) measures are at world-class levels.	0 1 2 3 4 5
9. Continuous Improvement (CI). Associates are engaged in CI and/or Kaizen Events on a regular basis. Teams meet regularly to set goals, solve operating problems and implement corrective action without initiation from management.	0 1 2 3 4 5
10. In-Process Quality. Product quality is built-in at the work center. Associates have the ability and the authority to make product quality decisions in process and quality management tools (SPC, error-proofing, etc.) are in place.	0 1 2 3 4 5
11. Seamless Shift Operations. Continuity, consistency and communication are maintained across shifts. An effective 24-hour management system provides the necessary support for all shifts. Shift schedules satisfy both operational needs (e.g., continuity, cost-effectiveness) and associate needs (e.g., quality time off).	0 1 2 3 4 5
12. Standard Operating Procedures. The plant is ISO (or QS) certified. Operating procedures and quality standards are consistent and a formalized process is used to ensure sustainability.	0 1 2 3 4 5
13. Goal Deployment. Key performance indicators and shop floor goals are in place for each area, developed at the operating level and tied directly to plant goals.	0 1 2 3 4 5
14. Visual Management Systems. Plant and team scoreboards and other visual means of controlling and improving operations are effective throughout the plant. Operational status information is available quickly and accurately to anyone who needs it.	0 1 2 3 4 5
15. Incentives, Rewards & Recognition. There is an effective incentive and recognition system that promotes continuous improvement and rewards outstanding individual, team and plant performance.	0 1 2 3 4 5
16. Plant Safety, Loss Prevention & Housekeeping. Effective training & awareness, thorough incident investigations and a 5S organization program ensure an orerly, efficient and safe workplace.	0 1 2 3 4 5
17. High-Performance Leadership. All levels of plant leadership provide coaching, training & mentoring to their teams, encouraging peak performance and associate engagement.	0 1 2 3 4 5
18. Supplier Partnerships. The organization collaborates with a few key certified suppliers to continuously improve material cost, quality & delivery, benefitting all involved.	0 1 2 3 4 5
19. Cross-training & Multi-skilling. Multi-skilling in each area provides the needed flexibility. All personnel, including the plant leaders, receive regular and effective training.	0 1 2 3 4 5
20. World-Class Performance Measures. Performance metrics compare performance against world-class standards, are generated and controlled by shop floor personnel and are successful in rallying the entire organization toward higher performace levels.	0 1 2 3 4 5

Total ________  

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